Alan Toczydlowski
Photography:
Exploring Through the Lens
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Photo Contest Winner: Dogs
"So…this pick might be a bit controversial. You may notice that there is no dog in this photo, the winner in the “Dogs” category. Our winning Photographer Alan Toczydlowski made a statement this year by entering a number of photos of 4-month old kitten “Smudge” into the Dogs category. And…yeah, he’s right…there’s not a great category in our contest for kittens.
So that left it for our judges to decide. After all, there’s just something about a dog on a Boundary Waters trip – but a cat?
“As a cat-parent myself, I was skeptical,” writes Alan. “However, it turned out that Smudge was the highlight of the trip. She walked down the portages on her leash, warmed our laps around the fire, and provided constant entertainment around camp and in the canoe.”
Nothing against all the great dog photos people sent in, but our judges had to agree with Alan. And in the Photo Contest version of a dogfight, this kitten rose to the occasion and topped them all! Our judges were enamored with Smudge, and couldn’t resist a new winner in the Dogs category. Tell us we’re wrong!" -- friends-bwca
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Photo Contest Winner: Landscape
"Our ever-popular Landscape category this year boasted over 500 entries! With so many lovely sunsets, rock formations and watery wilderness scenes, it was difficult to choose a winner. However, Alan Toczydlowski’s image, capturing a woman reading by the water on Con Island of Shell Lake, stood out distinctly among other Boundary Waters vistas. Its equilibrium and sheer simplicity resonated deeply with our judges. We’ve enjoyed featuring Alan’s other submissions on our website and in publications, and we’re excited to again name him a contest winner!" -- friends-bwca
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Photo Contest Winner: Wildlife
"We received photos of all kinds of furry, feathered and scaly critters you’ll see in the Boundary Waters, but this majestic eagle received audible gasps from our judges. Photographer Alan Toczydlowski recalls, “We drifted around a point to be surprised by an eagle perched on a down cedar log, wings spread wide to dry after a rainy morning.” He quickly grabbed his telephoto but had to adjust the settings, and thought he’d missed the moment and the shots would be overexposed. He kept his expectations in check, just appreciating the stunning moment. “Luckily I had dialed it in just in the nick of time!” he said." -- friends-bwca
“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Share my wildlife with me. Because humans want to save things that they love.”
Steve Irwin
Contact Me
Interested in learning more about me, my work or how we can collaborate on an upcoming project? Feel free to reach out anytime, I would be more than happy to chat.
Columbia Heights, Minnesota
